Guillotine shears are stationary shears for sheet metal working, used for cutting metal sheets and plates. They consist of an upper and lower cutting blade that slide along a fixed edge to cut the material. Guillotine shears usually have a long cutting length and high cutting accuracy. The cutting performance of guillotine shears depends on the size of the shear and the thickness of the material to be cut. Guillotine shears come in a variety of sizes, from small, hand-operated shears to large, computer-controlled industrial machines. Guillotine shears often have a cutting angle adjustment feature to provide a better quality cut. Some guillotine shears also have automatic material clamping and a return spring to ease the cutting process and reduce operator fatigue. Guillotine shears are used in sheet metal fabrication to cut metal sheets and plates for further processing into components, housings, machine parts and other products. Guillotine shears are typically very robust and can handle a high production rate, making them useful in many industrial applications.